Cozumel

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Bahamas Day 5 Cozumel Wednesday April 22^nd

 

Today we arrived in Cozumel, Mexico. We have visited here many times over the years, and although the island has changed, it still holds its own unique charm. The water is an unreal shade of turquoise, the breeze is warm and gentle, and stepping into the sea water temperature is said to be like a perfectly heated bath. Of course, that beauty draws a crowd. With cruise ships bringing an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 passengers into port each day, the streets can turn chaotic—people rushing to tequila tastings, hunting for souvenirs, or eyeing “authentic” cigars that are anything but. Still, Cozumel stays a fantastic destination if you love scuba diving, snorkeling, water sports, or getting a close look at Mayan culture.

 

Today we were planning to stay on the ship since 90% of the passengers head ashore, the ship turns wonderfully peaceful. Then reality hit: we still needed our 10,000 steps… and Jay needed socks. So, we hopped off, figuring it was easier to walk on land than to take endless laps around the decks. I know what you’re thinking, “You came all the way to Mexico to buy socks …you guys really know how to have a good time”.

 

But ask yourself: have you ever been to a Mega Soriana in Cozumel? Most people haven’t — and honestly, it should count as an excursion. Mega is like Walmart, but better: cleaner, wide aisles, no one hustling you like in the tourist shops, and stocked with everything from beach towels to fresh tortillas… and yes, socks. If I ever write another travel book, I’ll absolutely include a trip to Mega. That’s real cultural immersion. Sure, they don’t have a ‘Swim with the Dolphins’ package, but wandering about in a local supermarket tells you more about a town than any choreographed outing ever will. We even checked out all by ourselves — just as easy as self‑checkout at Walmart. Well… except for the moment Jay didn’t put the socks in the bag, and the machine refused to let us pay. So, we had to call over the man to help us but hey, that happens at Walmart too.

 

We thought about spending the day in Playa del Carmen, but realized we’d be too rushed. It’s a 45‑minute ferry ride from Cozumel, and as much as we love Playa — it’s one of our favorite places in Mexico — today just wasn’t the day to squeeze it in. On our first visit to Playa del Carmen, it had this wonderfully laid‑back, local feel. Over the years it’s evolved, as great places often do, and it’s now a vibrant, in‑demand destination. These days you’ll find luxury shopping, stylish bars, and more high‑end restaurants and the abundance of tourists.

 

I still have such great memories from our last trip. We met two guys from Pennsylvania, and somehow the four of us ended up in this tiny restaurant that basically felt like someone’s living room, maybe five tables total. “The food was incredible — you can never go wrong with “Tacos al pastor.”.

 

One of the guys had what I thought was a cool job: he worked in project development for Crayola. His whole world revolved around creating and naming crayon colors. He told us Crayola has made more than 200 colors over the years, with about 175 still in rotation. And apparently the most popular box they sell is the one with 152 crayons with crazy wild names like Jazz berry, Radical Red, and Canary.  Just to show how much things change, when I was ten, I had the starter box of ten crayons, and the names were literally just Blue, Red, Yellow. That was it. Anyway, from where I’m stretched out on the sundeck overlooking Cozumel, the water is pure Cerulean Blue—a shade that, incidentally, is the name of a crayon, probably invented by the guy we met.

 

After our big shopping adventure, we spent the afternoon by the pool — and in the pool — chatting with other passengers. The weather was warm, the kind of warm where you suddenly appreciate every cloud that drifts in front of the sun. We grabbed lunch at the Grill by the pool, but the selections were… interesting. Not burgers, dogs and fries but pasta, chicken, and pork chops that are not exactly lounger‑friendly. That’s the kind of lunch you eat sitting upright at a table with a napkin tucked in, not half‑reclined by the pool trying not to drop a pork chop on your swimsuit.

 

Tonight’s show was the comedian Azeem with a set called, “I Am Just Serious”. We decided to skip it. In our experience, cruise‑ship comedy is… not great. They’re always trying to play on both sides, terrified of offending anyone, and the result is a string of tired, lukewarm jokes that land with a thud. Half the time I feel bad for the comedian because nobody’s laughing, and the other half I feel bad for myself because I am sitting through it. So yes — “I Am Just Serious” and we didn’t go.

 

Tomorrow we are in Costa de Maya.

Sea Day

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Tuesday April 21st Our First Sea Day

 

We’re now on day three of our cruise and between dinner, cocktail hour, and the evening shows, we’ve a met, a few fellow passengers. After taking more than a couple dozen cruises over the years, I’ve started to notice a pattern—there are certain “types” who always seem to appear, no matter the ship, the itinerary, or the ocean.

 

There are the social butterflies—the ones who look forward to chatting with strangers and somehow know everyone by day two. Then, there are the shy, quiet types who just want to be left alone with a book, expertly avoiding crowds and keeping to themselves. You’ve also got the party people: first at the bar, last to leave, always with a drink in hand. And of course, the foodies—those who plan their entire day around meals and have strong opinions about bread.  And let’s not forget the passengers whose outfits suggest they got dressed in the dark — plus the boldly confident ones who clearly believe the world deserves a generous, front‑row view of their low necklines. They make you smile, shake your head, and enjoy the spectacle. Honestly, a cruise just wouldn’t feel the same without them.”

 

Oh, a quick note about our neighbors. They are definitely party people. We ended up next door to what might be the most enthusiastic {loud} couple on the ship. They love their deck, they love having their friends over, and they love a good, hearty laugh. I am sure they are fun people… but I am just as sure they probably will not be our new best friends.

 

Today, like most sea days, there’s a whole buffet of things to do besides going to the buffet. And honestly, that’s why I love sea days. You’ve got the freedom to do whatever strikes you in the moment… or to do absolutely nothing at all, which is sometimes the real luxury. Today we did our predicted list of things, reading a book, having a Bloody Mary at 9 O’clock in the morning and being lazy.

 

We poked our heads into the 11a.m. cocktail party on the pool deck, where there were a handful of our fellow passengers lurking about — mainly because the weather is, in a word, crummy. Not cold, not dramatic… just that special brand of overcast, gray, vaguely‑moist yuck that drives people indoors to drink.

 

Tonight is Gala Night, which is basically the ship’s polite way of saying, “Hey folks, maybe try looking like you own a pair of real pants”. It’s not formal‑formal, but definitely a strong nudge toward smart casual — which, in plain English, means don’t be ridiculous. Put on long pants and leave the flip‑flops in your cabin. Of course, people will still do whatever they want. That’s just the era we live in. Jay and I will do our best to be smart and blend in.

 

Because it’s Gala Night, the restaurant rolled out the fancy stuff — filet mignon and lobster. I’m not a huge lobster eater, but I went for it anyway because, let’s be honest, lobster screams ‘special occasion,’ and we’re on a cruise.  It was pretty good. It’s amazing what a pound of melted butter can do. Naturally, we followed it up with crepe suzette.

 

After dinner we headed to the show, Rock Royalty — which basically means they hit us with all the classics: ‘Hit Me With Your Best Shot,’ ‘We Are the Champions,’ ‘We Will Rock You’. The audience was all in, with plenty of people standing, singing, and fully living their rock‑star moment as Jay nodded off.

 

Tomorrow we will be in Cozumel, hopefully find some sun.

From the MSC Seashore

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Bahamas Day 3 Nassau

 

Today we arrived in Nassau, Bahamas. Nassau is one of the 700 islands that make up the Bahamas, and as the capital, it’s home to nearly 70% of the country’s population. It’s undeniably beautiful, with turquoise water and colorful buildings, but it also attracts a lot of tourists. As soon as the ships dock, crowds spill onto the main street, eager to browse the duty‑free shops, diamond boutiques, and luxury stores in hopes of scoring a deal. Good luck with that.

 

We’ve been to Nassau a few times before during quick cruise stopovers, but years ago we spent two full weeks in Freeport—a wonderfully laid‑back, sun‑drenched island where the biggest daily decision was “beach now or beach later.” It was blissfully stress‑free… right up until the morning we woke to find our bedroom floor has a couple inches of water thanks to a burst water pipe. The landlords moved us, of course, but let’s just say the new place had a lot less “island charm” but at least it was dry.

 

On past visits to Nassau, we always remembered the white‑gloved traffic policemen standing proudly in their little wooden booths, blowing whistles like they were conducting a symphony and directing cars with impressively crisp hand signals. But on today’s walkabout, that whole charming tradition seems to have disappeared, replaced by modern traffic lights doing the job with far less flair. Things always seem to change, don’t they.

 

We skipped the organized tours today and decided to explore at our own pace. Today’s walkabout we deliberately stepped out of the tourist bubble, venturing into the real Nassau, the part behind the curtain. There the streets were old, crumbling worn down and clearly in need of help. We know from our travels every destination has two sides, the one polished for the visitor with the diamonds and Gucci bags and the one shaped by the people who actually live there. The truth of a place probably is the one found in the cracks.  Speaking of cracks, the city center is walkable, until you wander past it. Then you are walking on rubble and on narrow roads. We had to hold our breath for passing buses and politely step over and around napping dogs.

 

On an earlier trip here, we went to the Atlantis resort which is much more than a hotel and casino. It is a massive, over‑the‑top tropical playground, complete with pink towers, lagoons, and a sprawling water park.  It was on that trip we went snorkeling in the warm, clear waters and took a boat ride past the homes of Oprah Winfrey and Nicolas Cage. Unsurprisingly, neither of them popped out to wave.

We’re not big souvenir shoppers, so we didn’t return to the ship with diamonds or fancy straw bags. But we did snag a slice of rum cake from a free sample tray—hard to resist, especially since the Bahamas are famous for it. Our other must‑do stop was a beachfront café, where we sipped a Bahama Mama and soaked in the ocean view. The drink mixes rum, pineapple juice, orange juice, and grenadine, and it was named after Dottie Lee Anderson, a Bahamian calypso dancer who rose to popularity in the 1930s.

 

Back on the ship, for dinner we headed to the specialty Mexican restaurant, HOLA! Tacos & Cantina. Specialty is code for you pay extra for it. It was a bright, casual spot that had a reputation of serving ‘delish’ Mexican and Latin American street‑food favorites—tacos, nachos, quesadillas, churros, and of course, margaritas.  We didn’t think the meal was all that ‘delish’, although impressed by the selection of hot sauces which were definitely needed to spice things up.

 

After finishing our guacamole and carne asada tacos, we headed to the theatre to see “Encore”. This show featured Broadway style hits from big musicals like Westside Story, Phantom of the Opera, Cats and more. And don’t worry, I made sure to choose a seat far, far away from the Diva singing in my ear last night. I don’t know what she would have done if they sang “Do you hear the people Sing”, a voluntary anthem from Les Miserable that is a rallying cry for the people who feel oppressed and want to rise up together.

 

After the show we grabbed a nightcap at the Yacht Club bar and listened to a few great piano tunes. Returning to our cabin there was an invitation inviting us to a special officer’s cocktail party tomorrow morning at 11AM. Seriously, who throws a cocktail party at 11AM? Makes you wonder who’s steering the ship and how many Bloody Mary’s they have had. But hey, we like Bloody Mary’s so maybe we will go.

Jain and Jay Cruising

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Bahamas Day 2 Sunday April 19^th Cruise Day

Port Canaveral holds the title of the busiest cruise port in the world—yes, the entire world. It’s wild to think that the globe’s top cruise hub sits right beside one of the largest rocket launch sites and space centers on Earth, all surrounded by some of Florida’s most impressive wildlife.

Our hotel overlooks the Banana River Lagoon, a perfect spot for watching pelicans, ospreys, seagulls, and all kinds of coastal birds. If we’re lucky, we might even spot a manatee. These gentle “sea cows” can stretch up to 10 feet long and weigh around 1,000 pounds. They’re known for being calm, slow-moving, and curious creatures, even though they’re technically herbivores—not carnivores I would prefer any encounter to be from dry land rather than while out swimming.

This morning we felt the sonic boom from Jeff Bezo’s, the Amazon guy, launching his reusable rocket booster to help lower the cost of accessing space. I can’t help wondering when that same innovation might get my packages to the front porch a little faster.

Our boarding time is not until 2:00 but we hop on the early shuttle to the MSC Seashore. It’s not that far from our hotel but seems like we were dodging traffic, deciphering a street maze. This is our first MSC cruise, and we’re excited. We went all‑in and booked the Yacht Club, which is basically a ship hiding inside another ship—complete with its own bar, restaurant, hot tubs, and sun decks. It’s like cruising VIP style.

As Yacht Club guests we get escorted on board first. Checking in was an interesting experience, the crew seemed like they had a plan, but as a guest I was not convinced. We were given a glass of champagne that helped smooth the process. Once at our cabin we unpacked then headed off to lunch, or “launch,” which might be the better word because we are fully prepared to blast straight into vacation mode.

After we wander around the ship. I was already familiar with the ship, because like with all our trips, I spend a lot of time researching the ship and our destinations. Planning ahead is part of the fun of traveling—it’s part of the vacation itself. There’s something enjoyable about having something to look forward to and the trip becomes the reward for all that preparation.

We’re absolutely thrilled to be staying in the Yacht Club cabins — especially because Yacht Club guests get their own private elevators. We can zip down to Deck 4 or up to Deck 20 without ever having to squeeze in with the crowds from the rest of the ship. It feels like real luxury. At least on this trip, we won’t be crammed into an overloaded elevator with fifteen people, including adults eating hot dogs with relish dripping onto the floor. (Yes… that really happened on our last cruise.)

The ship is supposed to sail away from the port at 4 p.m. so, we join fellow Yacht Club guests on the private pool deck in the Top Sail Lounge for a relaxed sail‑away celebration but we’re not moving.   There is supposed to be music drifting in the background while we take in the scenery: stretches of beach, glimpses of wildlife, NASA landmarks, and crowds waving from the shore, but nothing was happening. It seems the ship has a problem with refueling, but who doesn’t these days. After two long hours we slowly glide away from the port… and like everybody else we forget the sail away party, its dinnertime.

After dinner we attended the Divas show, a tribute style revue of famous legendary female performers. It was high energy show and would have been really good if the lady behind me wasn’t singing along with every tune... but then again who doesn’t want to be a diva these days.

Tomorrow we will be in Nassau.

Jain and Jay Travel Storie

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Saturday April 18^th  On Our Way

 

After spending the night at the Peppermill Casino—our usual choice when we have an early 6:00 a.m. flight—we headed out for our trip to Orlando and then on to Port Canaveral for our 11‑day Bahamas cruise. The itinerary wasn’t bad at all: a short hop to Salt Lake City and then straight on to Orlando. As many of you know, airport time is the worst, so the fewer stops the better. Even going through TSA wasn’t bad — of course it was only 5 a.m. and at that hour the agents still seem to have a bit more patience and kindness to spare.

 

Having flown more than 850,000 miles, you’d think I’d be completely comfortable with flying. I’m not. I don’t worry about a pilot who might be going through a personal crisis, or a sudden mechanical failure like a fuel‑pump issue or a turbine malfunction, or even the plane going down in a fireball because of a thunderstorm no one saw coming. No—the thing that unsettles me most these days is the other passengers.

 

First, we have the aisle blocker. This is the person who steps onto the plane, walks three feet, and then just… stops. Suddenly the middle of the aisle becomes the perfect place to reorganize their entire life. They’re pulling out jackets, laptops, and snacks. Meanwhile, the rest of us are stacked behind them like dominos. Then comes the seat confusion specialist. Why does boarding a plane make grown adults forget how numbers and the alphabet work? You hear: “Sir, that’s my seat.” “No, it’s not.” Then he stares at his ticket like it’s written in ancient hieroglyphics. “Oh… my mistake.” Yep. Yep, it is. Next is the overhead bin engineer. This person tries to fit a suitcase into the bin that clearly violates the laws of physics. They push. They shove. The flight attendant gently says, “Sir, it’s not going to fit.” And he responds with the confidence of a man who has never been wrong: “No, no, I’ve got it.” Then there’s the loud phone call person. They’re boarding the plane while simultaneously closing a business deal, breaking up with someone, or ordering something on Amazon that they don’t need. Everyone within a five-row radius now knows their entire life story. And finally, the slow walker. They stroll down the aisle like they’re on a museum tour, admiring the overhead lights, smiling, living their best life—while creating a traffic jam that delays everyone behind them. This is why I order a Bloody Mary the moment I’m allowed. Do I want a Bloody Mary at 6 a.m.? Not really. Do I need one? Without question.

 

It felt like a small miracle when we arrived in Orlando and saw our driver waiting for us in the arrivals hall, holding a sign with our name on it. The ride to Port Canaveral took about 45 minutes, and our taxi driver turned out to be the quiet type. In our experience, drivers are usually either chatty or completely silent so they can focus on the road while flying through a 50 mph zone at 80 miles an hour.

 

We pulled up to the Radisson Hotel in Port Canaveral, close to where our cruise will set sail. We always arrive a day early. Seasoned travelers know it’s wise to get as close to your departure point as possible. And by “seasoned,” I mean well‑aged and have had a few travel mishaps over the years that have definitely added some spice as well as grey hair.

 

Traveling from the West Coast to the East Coast is supposed to be easier thanks to the time change, but after waking up at 4 a.m. to catch an early flight, it doesn’t really matter. At this point, all we want is to settle in, sip a glass of wine, find some dinner, and call it an early night. Tomorrow, the real adventure begins—cruise day.

Thanksgiving 2025

Follow this link to read about our Thanksgiving adventure.

Amtrak to Glenwood Springs 

Recipe Books

 In our travels we have collected and assembled some recipes from places we visited. The books can be downloaded or read online. Look at the symbols at the bottom of each page for display options. Turn the pages by clicking on the side, forward or back or flick the pages on a touch screen device.

Our First Recipe book Travel Recipes Cocktails Desserts Salads Dish Up a Movie Chillin n Grillin